This invention relates to improvements in a face gear assembly. Generally, a face gear assembly comprises a face gear having a planar pitch plane and a pinion, such as a spur gear or helical gear, engaged with the face gear. In a conventional face gear assembly, there is provided a radial clearance between the tooth crests or top lands of the face gear and the tooth root surfaces or bottom lands of the pinion.
The conventional face gear assemblies are accompanied by a problem in that if the rotational axis of the pinion deviates perpendicularly from the regular position for some reason, the relative engaging position of the pinion and the face gear will be changed, and accordingly, the relative engaging position between them cannot be regularly or precisely maintained.
Furthermore, when the face gear and the pinion are to be assembled so as to be brought into mesh with each other, it has been difficult to set regularly and precisely relative position between the pitch plane of the face gear and the rotational axis of the pinion.